What does chattering mean?
Chattering refers to rapid, continuous, and often trivial talk — the kind of lively, gossipy conversation that fills a room without necessarily saying anything weighty. It also describes quick, repeated clicking or rattling sounds made by things other than voices: teeth shivering in the cold, monkeys calling in a forest, or the loose parts of an old engine. As a verb form, it is the present participle of 'chatter', so it appears constantly in ordinary speech and writing, from 'birds chattering at dawn' to 'teeth chattering on a winter walk'. The word carries a mildly dismissive connotation when applied to people, suggesting talk that is abundant but shallow — hence the well-known phrase 'the chattering classes', used to describe commentators and opinion-makers who talk prolifically about public affairs. Versatile, vivid, and onomatopoeic in feel, chattering is a useful word for describing both noisy conversation and the rhythmic clatter of the physical world.
Rapid, continuous talk about unimportant matters, or a series of quick, repeated clicking or rattling sounds.
"The chattering of the sparrows woke him before his alarm did."
Usually uncountable; the rare plural 'chatterings' appears mostly in literary prose.
Present participle of 'chatter': to talk rapidly and continuously about trivial matters, or to make quick, repetitive clicking or rattling sounds.
"They stood on the platform, chattering excitedly about the trip ahead."
Rarely used; the singular uncountable form 'chattering' is standard for the noun sense.
"The distant chatterings of the market drifted up through the window."
'The chattering classes' was coined in 1980 by American pundit Richard Brookhiser — and Britain embraced the phrase so warmly that it now sounds quintessentially British.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chattering
The word comes from 'chatter', which appeared in Middle English as an imitative formation echoing the sound of rapid, repetitive noise. Because it is onomatopoeic, similar-sounding forms arose naturally across Germanic languages, and English speakers have long extended the verb metaphorically from animal and mechanical sounds to human gossip. The noun 'chattering' simply applies standard English derivational patterns to this ancient sound-imitating root, and its derivatives such as 'chat' and 'chatterbox' remain among the most familiar words for informal talk.
Related word forms
How chattering is actually used
Neutral to slightly informal in tone; when applied to human speech it often carries a mild implication that the talk is frivolous or excessive. As a noun it is usually uncountable ('the chattering of the birds'), and the plural 'chatterings' is rare and largely literary.
Easily confused with chattering
'Clattering' refers to loud, rattling noise from hard objects striking each other, while 'chattering' refers either to rapid idle talk or to quick repetitive sounds such as teeth or machine parts.